Halo

Halo's heart was beating like a manic drum. His brother looked majestic. He couldn't still the emotions that burned in his chest when laying his eyes on the new King.

"Hello, brother," he said timidly. He rose from the ground slowly, waiting for Vaea's reaction.

He just stared at Halo blankly, his face flat. Halo was so caught up in admiring his brother he didn't seem to notice the girl kneeled down infront of him.

Her hands were in shackals behind her back, so she was definitely not his companion. Even though with her long sage hair and amber eyes she was insanely pretty.

"What did a girl like her do to be pinned down like that?" Halo asked, laughing nervously to break the ice.

"She's a terrorist," Augus answered, causing the girl to turn and glare.

"Don't exaggerate, Gus. I'm a minor thief and arsonist at best," she corrected.

"That's based on what you've done this week!" Augus snapped. "And I warned you to stop calling me that!"

The King was deathly quiet, just softly breathing and staring. It made Halo nervous. He was processing it. Halo knew his brother wouldn't forgive what he did so easily.

"You think you can just come back like everything is fine?" Vaea said, making the temperature in the room drop.

Halo frowned. "Of course not, your majesty."

"Are you here to usurp me?" Vaea asked angrily, tightening his hand around his sword. Halo lifted his hands in surrender.

"No, of course not, your majesty. I'm just here to fix what I broke."

"You can't fix anything," the King hissed. "All you're good for is running away."

Even though they had an audience of about three people, Halo felt like they were very much alone.

"I know I left you. I'm sorry, your majesty. Please allow me to make it up to you as your brother," Halo begged, kneeling down again.

"You didn't just leave," the King stepped forward, his features twisted with rage and pain. "You abandoned me. You left when I needed you the most. Father was killed and instead of staying with me you ran away. You didn't just let me mourn my father. You let me mourn my brother as well. I didn't even know if you were ever coming back."

The words sent a pang through Halo's chest. He was always consumed with guilt. There wasn't a day that went by when he wasn't.

"There's not a day that goes by where I don't regret what I did," he said softly. "I'm sorry for not being there for you. I was a coward. I really want to fix things, your majesty. Please give me a chance."

The King stood unyielding, his eyes hardened. He turned to Augus and gestured to the terrorist. "Take her to the dungeons and prepare her for execution tomorrow. She's outlived her chances." He ordered, making Halo's face drop.

"You're going to kill her?" He asked in disbelief. "But the death penalty is against our constitution."

Vaea gave him a dark look. "Yeah, well I've made some amendments."

Halo chuckled nervously. He hoped Vaea was joking. He had always had a twisted sense of humor. But now he couldn't tell if the King was being earnest or not. The girl was bewildered as she was dragged out of the room, as if she couldn't believe what she just heard.

Then, it was just them and Finn.

"Where were you anyway?" Vaea demanded.

"I became a sailor and traveled for the past three years. This is Finn, he was my shipmate," Halo gestured to Finn, who was dead silent. He still had to explain and apologize for all he dragged him into.

"You left me for some low class life as a squid?" Vaea snapped. "Goddess, you're embarrassing."

Halo would take every insult Vaea hurled at him. He knew his brother was cruel when he was hurt. And it's not like he didn't deserve it.

"You dyed your hair as well, so you must have been desperate to fit in with the degenerates," he continued his verbal assault. "You look just like the Sai commoners. It's ugly."

"I just wanted a change," he said quietly, embarrassed. "I'm staying in Kukoa for good. I'd like to be by your side if you'll have me as your Prince."

"What makes you think I want you at all?"

Halo frowned. "I know you're angry at me and you have all the right to be. But don't forget we're brothers. You're the only family I have left and I'm your only family too. We only have each other in this world."

He didn't want his brother to hate him forever. That would kill him inside.

"If you're all I have in this world, then the world is quite meaningless," Vaea uttered coldly, making Halo's heart shatter.

He doesn't mean that. We'll always be brothers.

"I deserve that," was all he could mutter.

"You deserve that and a lot worse. But I've had enough talking about this. I don't care what you do in Kukoa, just stay out of my way."

Vaea walked back to his throne, dragging his sword against the tiles before plopping down onto his cushioned seat.

Halo swallowed hard, feeling like he could cry. He wanted to hug his brother so badly. He was all grown up and it felt like he missed a lot. He couldn't blame anyone else.

"Can we have dinner together tonight?" Halo meekly asked. "Please?"

The King stared at him unkindly, then grumbled to himself. No answer came. Halo took that as a sign to excuse himsslf from Vaea's presence.

I just need to give him time.

***

Halo had shown Finn his room, then dragged him outside on the palace grounds. They had not said anything since Halo's conversation with the King. Halo thought he was prepared to bring Finn home, now he was dying of shame.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into all this," he said, burdened with regret. "I understand if you want to leave and pretend you never met me. My offer to buy you a voyage ticket still stands."

"No need," Finn said simply, looking around at the lush garden and lawn. "I suddenly understand why you never mentioned you were a Prince. You've got a ton of baggage."

Halo rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. He didn't know what to say.

"So you've naturally got white hair?" Finn piped up. "And you're older than him?"

Halo nodded, uneasy. He knew what would come next.

"Then why aren't you King?"

Halo sighed. "I never wanted to be. Not a day in my life."

"You said you needed to be born with white hair. Your brother has black hair and white streaks."

"Yeah, that's kind of the problem," Halo said with despair, finding a bench in the garden and sitting down. Finn sunk down next to him.

"So he hates you?" Finn asked. Halo's frown deepened.

"He doesn't hate me."

"I don't know. It kinda sounds like he hates you."

Halo glared at Finn, who stared blankly and unaware of his words.

"He doesn't hate me, okay? He just needs time. We always had issues as kids and we could always work through them."

"You abandoned him though. Right after your father died. That's kinda heavy."

"I'm aware of that, Finn!" Halo exploded, exasperated. "I am ashamed of it. And I know it is not easy to forgive. But I am willing to work for it."

Finn clamped his mouth shut, realizing he was crossing lines. He stared ahead and took off his cat ears, rolling the hat between his fingers.

Halo slumped further into his seat, fighting the urge to sob. He stared ahead and noticed a line of wires hidden inbetween the trimmed hedges. Halo stood up and walked towards it, seeing a farm of rabbits inbetween the flowers. His heart nearly burst with joy.

"He doesn't hate me!" He bent down and picked up a chocolate-coloured bunny and lifted it to his chest. "Look, Finn! He doesn't hate me!"

"Uh what?" Finn stood up in confusion.

"This is my bunny farm!" Halo excitedly said. "I had it before I ran away. Vaea didn't destroy it, which means he still cares about me!"

"How'd you make that connection?"

"If he truly hated me, he would want to get rid of everything that reminded him of me. But he didn't. Look, all the bunnies are well fed and healthy! Even the flowers are watered and cared for!"

Halo softly stroked the brown rabbit. "This is Muffin. He was one of my first rabbits and Vaea never approved of pets at the palace. Yet here he is, healthy and cared for."

Finn didn't want to say anything that would discourage his hope. "Maybe you're right," he smiled for Halo's sake.

"This won't be so bad after all. I know it's been terrible but it will get better, Finn. You'll actually like it here, I promise you."

"Your brother barely acknowledged me and I think I like it that way," Finn said. "He doesn't seem like the friendly type."

"He isn't. But he's very warm inside," Halo admitted, sadly. "You need to come with me on a trip tomorrow."

"Are we going to the beach?" Finn smiled, hopeful.

Halo laughed embarrassedly. "Uh no. But we can try going there after. I have someone to see. Another person I left behind when I ran away."

Finn sighed, shaking his head. "Did you just go around burning all your bridges?"

Finn didn't know the half of it. This person would be even less forgiving than Vaea.